Heart Brain Coherence

Over the past several years more and more research has been done on the power and intelligence of our heart. In fact, researchers have proven that our heart is 100 times more powerful electrically and up to 5,000 times more powerful magnetically than our brain. The heart is often referred to as our “second brain” sending more feedback signals to the brain than the brain sends to our heart through our enteric nervous system (ENS), one of the main divisions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Our heart-brain consists of an intricate neural highway similar to that found in the brain, but with exceedingly more power.

According to a recent Gaia article entitled Mysteries of the Human Heart, “Neurons, the brain cells responsible for processing sense-based input, send messages to the body, such as, “reach hand to pick up sandwich.” Neurons also transmit emotion. These specialized cells are found in the brain and nervous system, but importantly, also in the heart. Neurons can be harnessed to establish heart-brain coherence — In fact, heart neurons fire in conjunction with the brain neurons. The heart and brain are undisputedly, profoundly connected.”

One of the main keys to our overall wellbeing is creating currents, or pathways, of heart-brain coherence. In fact there is a new field of neuroscientific research dedicated to the study of heart intelligence called neurocardiology. This new field is confirming the ancient wisdom around the power of our innate intelligence and our inherent ability to sync with the wisdom of our heart-brain to empower pathways of wellbeing. Through neuroplasticity, these pathways lead to patterns of resonance and alignment within our heart/mind intelligence.

Rollin McCraty Ph.d, one of the founders of Heartmath, shares, “The biggest hidden source of stress on the planet is the disorganization of heart/mind, causing lack of resonance. Lack of alignment eats the life force and happiness out of humanity.”

Heart Break Practice:

Enjoy a simple and immediately applicable practice to stimulate your heart intelligence. Whether you are experiencing heartbreak, resistance to life, stress from work or an illness, taking a 3-5 minute Heart Break can jump start our wellbeing through our coherence with and connection to our heart intelligence.

Find a comfortable place for you to earnestly connect with your heart for 3-5 minutes. You may wish to set a timer.

Direct your attention to become aware of the current of feelings, emotions, thoughts and sensations streaming through your heart and your mind. Take several breaths as you simply direct your attention to become aware of the waves, currents or even torrents arising. Allow yourself to become aware of these currents of energy moving through you, without judgement or resistance, inviting a deeper connection to and inquiry with this stream of awareness. What are you noticing?

Begin to engage with your breath resting into a consistent and rhythmic breathing pattern with slow smooth inhales through your nose and exhales through rounded lips as if you are blowing out a candle. You may initially wish to count out a 4-6 count inhale with an equal count exhale. Allow yourself to become aware of a slow and steady stream of intelligence flowing on the communication highway linking your heart intelligence with your mind. Perhaps imagine an actual highway with lanes or maybe envision a golden light connecting and energizing these pathways of communication.

As you exhale slowly out rounded lips, imagine or even allow a felt-sense of contraction, dissonance or discomfort to release with your breath from the space around your heart and within your mind. You can even choose a color associated with the dissonance or a specific stress you are choosing to release with each exhale. As you inhale, imagine or even feel a current of love arising through the chambers of your heart linking and flowing in harmony with the waves of your brain.

Continue to breathe in this rhythmic pattern as you fine tune your focus around your physical and subtle heart space. Perhaps imagine a beautifully colored current of love streaming into the temple of your heart with each inhale. Notice the space and softness you are creating in and around your heart as you intentionally release each exhale.

Invite your breath into a living conversation attuning to tuning the instrument of your heart. How might you breathe to connect a bit deeper to this sacred space? Do you notice any signs of resonance and coherence within your heart-brain? Take note of what you are sensing and how you are feeling.

After your 3-5 minute heart break is complete, take 30-60 seconds to notice the shifts you have created during this practice.

What do you notice about the stream of intelligence flowing through your heart space? Does it feel fluid, stagnant, calm or erratic? What are you noticing through your sense of smell, taste and touch? What sounds do you hear streaming through your heartstrings? What is your heart sharing with you?

Each time you earnestly connect to your heart-brain with this practice, you are building deeper grooves of coherence and connection leading to body/mind patterns of overall wellbeing.

Shanti Medina, CYT CPT is the founder of Energize training systems and Body Current® therapeutics. She shares her Body Current modality as a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience with simple body-centered templates and tools to reveal our inherent true nature. Much of Shanti’s inherent wisdom in regulating the nervous system was imprinted as a young child living through her own trauma. Her own healing has inspired the root of her unique approach in coaching women’s wellness and wholeness as well as training elite athletes and top business owners.

Shanti has been gathering women together in sacred circles of celebration for over 15 years. Her Stirring the Shakti retreats and events inspire women to transform the mundane into magic, celebrate the simply sacred, empower true nature, and fuel the fire of purpose and passion.

Shanti enjoys supporting her clients in living a life of well-being, optimized performance and wild inspiration through simple practices of embodied self-realization. She has enjoyed being part of a variety of 500HR Yoga Teacher Trainings and as faculty at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and the Neurosculpting Institute. To schedule a private session or to find out more about Shanti’s upcoming events and retreats visit www.EnergizeShanti.com